I never venture out to Chatswood on my weekends because it is so far from where I actually am but when I had some commitments to attend to in Chatswood, I decided to stop by Marukame Udon because I was reading reviews about it and the majority of people loved the place.
Funny thing is as I was about to enter into the store, one of the workers comes out and offers me a free sample of their Bukkake Udon. I was already set on this meal so once I tried it I was 100% that this place would be amazing. Marukame Udon takes on a canteen style just like Menya Mappen. The one thing that this place does differently is that their noodles are hand made. 

Bukkake Udon with a slow cooked egg- $5.90 (M) I ordered a medium Bukkake Udon with a slow cooked egg, As for my pick from the sides I chose prawn tempura because I can never go to a canteen style udon joint without some sort of tempura. I kind of overkilled on the toppings, but it made the udon taste even better. 
The noodles were soft and thicker than the usual udon noodles you see around, given the fact that they make their noodles inside the restaurant. The soup was delicious, very similar to that of Menya Mappen. I wish they gave me just a tiny bit more soup because I finished the soup before I actually finished the noodles :( Still a great meal nonetheless. The tempura was crunchy just like tempura should be. 
The service was amazing and you are greeted loudly both when you enter the store and leave the store. I really enjoyed my time here and will be visiting here again the next time I'm in Chatswood. Definitely try it if you have a love for udon!  332 Victoria Avenue Chatswood, NSW 2067
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After postponing my trip to the Night Noodle Markets for a few weeks now, I have finally made it to Hyde Park to join in the celebration of food among many, many others (the lines were crazy). This was actually my first ever visit to the Night Noodle Markets (say what?!) what kind of food blogger has never visited the night noodle markets? I'm a bit late to the party, actually extremely late but I'm so glad I jumped into the markets before it's final night, which is tonight.

3 set Gua Baos- $20 Top to bottom: Silky Tofu, Braised Pork Belly, Twice Cooked Pork Belly My number one priority was Wonderbao, our lovely visitor from Melbourne. Luckily for me, I had found seating right next to Wonderbao. The queue was already forming and this was exactly at 5pm. Yes it's definitely popular with everyone at the markets. Happiness is ensured as I receive my 3 set of Gua Baos. One of each. 
Each one was pillowy and soft. The hoisin sauce on the Twice Cooked Pork Belly is heavenly and makes this glorious bun even better. The pork belly was half fat and half meat, but it was so beautifully done so no complaints here. The Braised Pork Belly was drenched in sauce and topped off with crushed peanuts and coriander. I think my favourite of the three Gua Baos was definitely this one. I was pleasantly surprised by the Fried Tofu. The skin was crispy yet the insides felt so silky. Guess that's why they call it Silky Tofu. No false advertising to be found here. 
Wonderbao, please open a store up in Sydney so that I can eat you all day everyday because I don't know what I'm going to do without these buns in my life. 

Pork skewer- 2 Skewers for $10 The next stop was Hoy Pinoy another visitor from Melbourne. Just follow the smoke and you'll find yourself at the foot (well technically the back of a very long line) for some Fillipino BBQ. I didn't line up myself (thank goodness) but when I walked towards that area at 8pm, the lines were cray. I ordered the Pork skewer whilst my friends ordered the Chicken Skewers. They loved theirs and I loved mine. Would totally have bought more if not for the lines. These smokey, marinated skewers are definitely worth a try because I don't think I have ever had anything like it. Please make a store in Sydney!

Korean Tacos with Chilli Pork- 2 for $15 or 3 for $20 Korean Tacos?? My first reaction was confusion and then curiosity and then I found my self on the line at POKLOL. This was the first time I heard of this particular Sydney Fusion restaurant. The 'Korean Tacos' sign definitely perked my interests. I got the Chilli Pork Taco which is a soft taco served with Korean spicy marinated pork with Kimchi slaw, shallots, sweet tangy pickles, coriander, crispy shallots and spicy mayo. The filling of the taco was tender. All the ingredients just blended together so well. Although the shallots were raw, the taste of it wasn't overpowering and the whole filling just balanced so well. The spiciness wasn't too overpowering either, just the right amount that hits you after you eat the whole taco. 
Although the lines are somewhat scary, they are well worth the wait. If you haven't been down to the Night Noodle Markets this year, definitely make a trip down there today otherwise you'll have to wait for a whole year and you do not want to miss out on this party for your tastebuds. 
Hyde Park Sydney, NSW 2000 ♥

A thai review twice in a row? YEP. My love for Thai and Laos food is becoming excessive, but you can never be too in love with food. I have been a fan of Holy Basil for a very very long time. Ever since that first moment I tried fried icecream with my family in Canley Heights, I have yet to find a place that does fried icecream better. We'll get to the infamous Fried Icecream a bit later but the points to take away from this bordering essay style intro is I love the Canley Height branch and was curious as to if they would do anything differently at the CBD branch.

Left:Ox Tongue -$11.90,  Right:Laos Pork sausages-$11.90 Excuse my dodgey photography skills here. I was too excited to dig in that I didn't angle my photos properly... Let's start of with my favourite, the Ox Tongue. It was cooked beautifully and remained tender. The serving size was actually pretty decent as well. At Holy Basil they serve their Ox Tongue in thicker slices than other places, which is a big bonus in my books. 
I enjoyed the Laos Pork Sausages quite alot. Normally I don't really get this dish unless someone else wants it but I think I will be getting this more often from now on because they were delicious.

Chicken Pad Thai- $13.90 I'm living the Pad Thai life all day everyday recently. I really enjoyed this Pad Thai especially because there was so much sauce and goodness in the dish. There was also a fair amount of chicken pieces scattered through the dish. I could barely finish this dish because there was just so much noodles in this dish.

Thai Beef Salad- $14.90 I didn't try this myself, but my friends loved it. Just look at all that meaty goodness!

Holy Basil Fried Icecream-$13.90 The Grand Finale of this epic meal was of course my favourite and might I say the BEST FRIED ICECREAM EVER! The outside is so crispy and the batter covering the icecream is thin unlike many other restaurants. I just love this so much and this is a definite must have for all those going to Holy Basil.
Overall, the staff was friendly and service was wonderful. As Holy Basil is located in Shark Hotel, the bar is right next door so you can hear the hustle and bustle of the bar. We had reserved seating that night so I can't comment to much on the wait but whilst we were eating, I could see many people waiting to be seated outside of the restaurant. Portion sizes are on the larger size which is always a bonus for such great food. Shark Hotel 127 Liverpool St Sydney, NSW 2000

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It's been 2 weeks since I last posted, but I'm back and starting off with a review on a restaurant that I have finally tried after all those years. Green Peppercorn has been one of those places that I have always wanted to try because people around me were always telling me that it was like Holy Basil and I'm in love with Holy Basil. After spending the day wandering around IKEA, my friends and I head to Fairfield for a feast. 

Charcoal BBQ Ox Tongue- $11.90

I love ox tongue and just can't get enough of it. Whenever I go to Thai or Lao restaurants with my family, my mum always orders the ox tongue. I have grown so accustomed to this that I can't go a meal in a Thai/Lao restaurant without ordering this beauty of a dish. It was very thinly sliced, but still tender and perfectly cooked. The special sauce served with this is amazing!

Lao Sausages- $11.90

Yum! The skin of the sausages were crunchy whilst the insides still remained tender. This is also served with the same special sauce of the Ox tongue. You can never get enough of the special sauce. 

Thai Beef Salad- $14.90

There's beef strips under all those greens, I promise. It's just all the meat is left to marinate in all the lime salad dressing. This was probably one of my favourite dishes of the night because I love my salads, especially my Thai salad because the dressing is just so good. I really need to learn how they make the dressing so I can recreate this in my own home. 

Pineapple Fried Rice with chicken- $12.90

Of course we ordered a rice dish to accompany all the other dishes because you always need some rice... (well not really). It tasted like what a normal friend rice would taste like. I couldn't taste the pineapple despite having chunks of pineapple with each spoonful of rice. It's an alright dish, nothing good, nothing bad.

Chicken Pad Thai- $12.90

I also have a love for Pad Thai. They offer side garnishing of chilli flakes and crushed peanuts, so you can adjust how spicy you want your Pad Thai to be. Since not all my friends are a fan of spices, I hold back and only put in a sprinkle of chilli. I feel as though there were more bean sprouts than pieces of chicken, but I love bean sprouts so that's fine with me. 

Pad See Ew with Beef- $12.90

A stir fry with sweet soy sauce and flat noodles, yes please! We didn't think we would be full with only the above dishes so we decided to order a Pad See Ew on impulse and because my friend loves it. Personally, I don't like flat noodles. I'm not picky when it comes to food but when it comes to stir fries I like the thin or thick rounded noodles. However, my opinion on flat noodles is starting to change. I really did enjoy this dish. The noodles were soft, beef was tender and the sauce on the noodles was delicious. I just can't fault this dish. 

I am so glad that I finally got to try Green Peppercorn after all the talk I heard about it. The interior is nice and the bird cages hanging from the roof add an interesting element to the whole place. Although I didn't look at their dessert menu this time, due to the massive food coma I was put in, I am definitely coming back to try all their desserts. Overall, I enjoyed my meal here and recommend it to people in the area. OH there's a branch in the city as well ;)

1 Hamilton Rd

Fairfield, NSW 2165

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One day after Uni, myself and a few companions decide to meet up for some shopping. We are famished by the end of our trip and our cravings for Korean food are at an all time high. Seoul-Ria is a restaurants located above town hall . Filled with purple lights across its windows, it's not too hard to miss. We enter the tiny lift to the top where a massive restaurant awaits. 

Ox Tail Soup I decided on this soup because I was craving something warm and hot. Honestly, this soup was flavourless. Even after I put in a spoonful of salt and pepper, there was nothing wow about this dish. I did enjoy the noodles in the soup, however, the soup was just water to me. 
Unfortunately I was unable to try any of their other stuff, but I really wish I had opted for one of their sizzling dishes because they looked amazing as they were coming out to the table next to ours. On a side note, I really enjoyed the side dishes! All Korean meals come with a serving of side dishes, but Seoul-Ria do their side dishes stellar in comparison to their main meals.
Despite my lackluster experience, I have heard that the KBBQ is amazing here. However, I am reluctant to return as the service was terrible. Noone attended to our table despite there only being 5 tables filled in the room and I found our waiter to be quite rude. Hopefully those other who come here experience better customer service. I may give this place another shot, but next time I will stay away from the soupy dishes at Seoul-Ria,
Level 2 605-609 George St Sydney, NSW 2000
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